Strangers
by Miss Ginevra Magdalene Darcy
Summary: Lily doesn't like strangers and there's a stranger in the kitchen. T for Ginny swearing


**It just popped into my head as I about to go to bed :/ had to write it down.**

The Potter's were spending a quiet (well quiet for a family with three grandchildren of one Marauder and the son of other) evening in. Ginny was in the kitchen watching Harry cook dinner (because she'd burnt her attempt) and the kids were upstairs, enjoying the fact that Teddy was visiting when there was a knock on the door.

Frowning as they were expecting no company, Ginny left Harry to cook and went to get the door. After all these years she'd learned to be a bit wary of opening the front door in case it was a fan or a reporter but this time she was met with the beady, watery blue eyes of Dudley Dursley. A man she'd heard a great deal about, seen photo's off but never meant in real life. She had never hoped too with all she knew of him.

"Get off my property," she hissed quietly – she wanted to yell, to rant, to rage at this man but that would call Harry's attention to his cousin's presence and after all he had suffered at the hands of this man in front of her the last thing she wanted was for her husband to have to deal with him. "Fuck off!"

"I just want t-" Dudley began to speak but Ginny cut him off quickly.

"I don't give a _damn_ what you want!" Ginny snapped louder than she intended and she glanced back in worry as Harry called her name. "It's fine, love." She turned back to Dudley and hissed, "Go away."

Slamming the door in his face she turned to see that Harry was standing in the archway to the kitchen with a raised eyebrow.

"Who was that?" he asked an amused note in his voice.

Dudley knocked again before she could respond and seeing her dismay and unwillingness to open to door Harry walked forward, moved her out of the way gently and opened it himself. All the while Ginny tried in dismay to stop him. He froze and stared at his cousin.

"Dudley."

"Harry. Hi," Ginny glared at the awkward man from behind Harry and Dudley kept a wary eye on her. Harry turned to look at her and she could read the look in his eye with ease, 'be nice'. Ginny stared at him incredulously in return. "I came to apologise…"

Harry didn't say anything for a while but eventually step out the door way, pulling Ginny out of the way with an arm around her waist.

"Come on in," Harry smiled at his cousin and Ginny continued to stare at her husband as though he'd lost his mind. "We can talk in the kitchen – I'm just cooking dinner."

Dudley entered slowly, still an eye on Ginny.

"My wife, Ginny," Harry introduced her but she simply glared in response, Harry smiled fondly down at her. "I'd say her bark was worse than her bite" – Ginny looked up at him in confusion and he mouthed 'muggle' at her – "but it's really not."

"That doesn't make me feel better!"

Harry laughed and Ginny smiled at the sound.

"Would you like some tea?" Harry asked his cousin as he took Ginny's hand and led the way back to the kitchen.

"Um, yeah, yeah that'd be great," Dudley smiled for the first time since arriving and sat down in the seat Harry gestured him too. "You have a beautiful home, Ginny."

She snorted inside but replied with a civil thank you that held no warmth. Complimenting her home that she'd built with her husband was not going to get him anywhere. She bustled around making tea even though Harry hadn't asked and was probably expecting her poison it.

"Dudley, how do you take your tea?" she asked, keeping her back to him so she couldn't glare it.

"Two sugars, thanks, Ginny," Dudley replied kindly.

"So," Harry spoke as they waited for the kettle to boil, "what brought on this visit? How did you find me?"

"Er...well, Dad died -"

"I-I'm so sorry, Dudley," Harry stuttered out. "How are you? How's your Mum?"

"She's just about holding it together," Dudley shrugged. "You may not have liked them – and for good enough reasons – but they really did love each other."

"I know," Harry nodded, Ginny noticed sadness in her husbands voice and was amazed that he could feel sad about Vernon Dursley being dead and Petunia 'just about holding it together'. She felt a swell of love for him.

"She's holding onto me quite tightly," Dudley continued.

"It makes sense," Harry agreed – both Ginny and Harry knew how death made you hold onto people tighter, they'd done it to each other, to the surviving Weasley family. "You take care of her…does she know your here?"

"No, she'd throw a fit, you know that!" Dudley laughed and Ginny couldn't help frowning as she placed a tea in front of him, "thank you."

She then brought hers and Harry's over, sitting down next to him at the table and reminding him not the let the dinner burn simply to get the conversation off Petunia and her thoughts about her nephew. She and Dudley both laughed as Harry jumped up to pay attention to dinner.

"Keep going, Dud, I'm listening," Harry assured him with his back to the table focusing on his cooking.

It seemed Dudley had reached a point where he couldn't continue, maybe it was because he was now sat across the table from Ginny alone. Ginny who he found absolutely terrifying and yet beautiful at the same time. They sat in silence for a little while before a another voice entered the mix.

"Mummy, mummy!" Lily's voice echoed around the kitchen as she run in but she stopped short at the sight of Dudley in the room, gasped and ran out again. Harry almost laughed – very different circumstances and reasons but she looked very much like her mother had done when she found Harry sitting in her kitchen.

Dudley stared after her in confusion and Ginny laughed at her daughter.

"Sorry - she doesn't like strangers," she explained as she rushed out the kitchen to follow Lily, leaving the two men to talk.

Ginny found her daughter curled up under the stairs and fought the urge to laugh again. It wasn't surprising Lily was so scared of strangers with so many press members who badgered the family, the children especially. They always wanted to know how the children of the legendary Harry Potter and the Quidditch Star Ginny Weasley Potter we're getting on.

"There's a strange man in the kitchen," Lily whispered as though relaying a great secret that Ginny didn't know.

"It's no one, Lily," Ginny folded herself down next to her, "just Daddy's cousin. They having a…catch up session."

Lily stared at her mother but before anything could be said there was a knock on the front door.

"Mummy, don't get it!" Lily exclaimed as Ginny got up and began to walk towards the door. Ginny turned round in surprise. "It could be another stranger!"

Ginny's expression softened and instead of opening the door she returned the knock. Someone chuckled on the other side. They knocked a tune back. It was a game Ginny used to play with her siblings when they were annoyed at their parents for some reason. Molly and Arthur wouldn't be let in because they didn't know the secret knock that the kids had invented as a code to let the punished one know it was them. This knock was that same one and Ginny smiled. Lily watched her mother in confusion.

She knocked seven times for each letter of her name and in return the person knocked sixth times.

"Lily, dear, it's Uncle George!" she exclaimed and Lily giggled crawling out of her hiding place towards her mother. "Shall we let Uncle George in? He's not a stranger, is he?"

Lily shook her head and Ginny opened the door to reveal her freckled and stocky elder brother, his trademark mischievous grin stretched across his face.

"There's my favourite sister!" he cheered, giving Ginny a tight hug before picking up Lily and dangling her from his shoulders.

The little girl shrieked with laughter but there was no fear the George would drop her from daughter or mother.

"Uncle George, we have a stranger in our kitchen!" Lily told him, still hanging upside down against her uncles back.

"Lily's not very happy," Ginny said more seriously and gave George a clear look to entertain the young girl and they would talk about whatever it was he came her for later.

"Tell you what, Lils," George said, letting his niece tumble safely to the ground, "you and I can go away from the stranger and then your Mummy and Daddy can take care of him – shall we do that?"

Lily giggled at her Uncle's silly tone and nodded her agreement. George sent Ginny a wink as he took her daughters hand and allowed himself to be led up the stairs to the other children. Ginny smiled and returned to the kitchen. The men were still sitting (or standing in Harry's case) there awkwardly. Ginny wasn't sure they'd spoken since she left the room; no doubt they were listening.

"So how's it going in here?" she asked and Harry simply smiled at her.

"I was just saying to Harry that your daughter is very beautiful," Dudley spoke. "He says she takes after you."

Ginny blushed brightly at her husband's compliment even if it was his cousin relying it and he sent her a wink making it so much worse.

"We have two more, Dudley," Harry said conversationally. "Two boys – older than Lily – James and Albus."

Ginny pressed her lips together – she didn't like her husband's childhood tormentor knowing about their children.

"You came here for a reason?" Ginny forcefully directed the conversation back to the reason of Dudley's arrival in their home.

"Yes," Dudley gave her another wary look at the same time Harry shot her one with the same reminder as last time. Luckily Harry looked away from her as Dudley looked to him "I came to apologise. I should never have treated you the way I did and I really regret that I did, that I was such a bully. You keep standing up for me though no matter how horrible I was and I don't understand that but I hope you forgive for my actions. I'd like us to get along now. I am sorry."

As apologies went it was pretty good, Ginny admitted, meaning Harry would forgive him in a heartbeat. Somehow Ginny knew he would the moment he let Dudley into the house.


End file.
